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May 20, 2024

Players Under 25 to Watch

NBL1.com.au Writers

We are halfway through the NBL1 season and there are plenty of young guns playing across the country. 

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We are halfway through the NBL1 season and there are plenty of young guns playing across the country. 

Check out the full list of players we think you should be watching under the age of 25 below: 

North Banner

Ben Tweedy - Rockhampton Cyclones 

Honourable mentions: Lual Diing, Kobe McDowell-White

There aren’t many pass-first, traditional floor generals to come through the local ranks currently playing at the NBL level, however, this season’s NBL free agency period has indicated there is a desire to add as many capable ball-handlers to NBL rosters as possible, such is the evolving nature of the defence played at the top level.

When looking at those types of players, there are few better than Rockhampton’s Ben Tweedy – and that’s even discounting the fact the emerging guard is still just 18 years of age.

Tweedy has already established himself as one of the top distributors in NBL1 North, and is fighting it out with NBL veterans and superstar guards Jason Cadee and Shaun Bruce atop the competition’s assist charts.

NBL1 North is a conference in which most teams are flush with elite level, professional talent. However, Rockhampton has handed the reins to Tweedy, who is thriving in his challenge of battling with some of the nation’s best guards every week.

For all his qualities as a pass-first point guard though, Tweedy is far from being merely a distributor. In addition to his almost 11 assists per game, he’s scoring almost 16 points per game at a solid almost 40 per cent clip. 

He had 17 points and 17 assists against a Brisbane Capitals side that boasted Bullets Sam McDaniel, Matthew Johns and Gabe Hadley, and became a stellar scorer against Nathan Sobey, DJ Mitchell and the Ipswich Force with 25 points.

More recently, he dished 16 dimes in a win over the South West Metro Pirates.

High-level, pass-first point guards don’t grow on trees in Australia, and the next great local lead guard could be right under all our noses and developing at a rapid, rapid rate.

 

Saffron Shiels - Townsville Flames

Honourable Mentions: Morgan Yaeger, Indiah Bowyer, Kahlaijah Dean

Let me start off by saying that during the WNBL last season, I got a chance to speak to both Shaneice Swain and Izzy Borlase about up-and-coming studs in the league to keep an eye on in years to come. Both said Saffron Shiels.

At 18 years old she’s currently averaging 19.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.1 SPG. I see what you mean Shaneice and Izzy, she can play.

Those numbers come across seven games with the Townsville Flames this season, where they have suffered defeat just once.

Swain described Shiels as a ‘big guard’ and that’s what she is. Comfortable bringing the ball up the court, making plays for herself and her teammates, she does a bit of everything and her numbers reflect that. “A nightly triple double threat” is a term that has been thrown around for some players before and I’ll add Townsville-Saffron to that list as well. 

One element of her game that stood out to me is that she doesn’t look rushed. She’s poised and measured, a great quality to have especially as a young player.

Shiels played limited minutes for Townsville in the WNBL last season, an average of 10 minutes a game, but I hope (and expect) her court time to climb next year.

I’m not saying they are the same by any stretch… but we did just see a 6’3 19-year-old get drafted to the WNBA in Nyadiew Puoch, I wonder what Saffron Shiels’ potential is. Only time will tell.

 East Banner

 

Will Cranston-Lown - Maitland Mustangs 
 Honourable mentions: Glenn Morrison, Alexander Higgins-Titsha

NBL1 East is full of sides being led by some of the nation’s top emerging talent - and that’s even discounting the presence of the Centre of Excellence in the competition.

Will Cranston-Lown is one of the more established presences of the burst of young talent playing in New South Wales and the ACT, and the 24-year-old guard has been taking the competition by storm and pushing his case for an NBL opportunity for multiple years now.

The former Regis University attendee has led his side to two straight Grand Finals – both of which resulted in heartbreaking three-point defeats – and was named the competition’s MVP last season. In the new campaign, he’s shown no signs of slowing down.

Illawarra’s Matthew Frierson is the only other non-NBL24 rostered or import talent currently in the competition’s top ten scoring leaders, and Cranston-Lown’s Maitland Mustangs have established themselves as a powerhouse team behind his hand, and sit atop the ladder after ten games played.

He’s averaging 20.4 points and 4.9 assists per game and, despite standing at just 6’1”, he’s contributing on the glass with four boards per game.

That scoring output isn’t coming from excessive shooting though. He’s shooting at almost 50 per cent from the field and over 35 per cent from three in the season so far.

All of his current numbers are comparable – if not better – than those from his MVP-winning season last campaign. So, at this point, is a title the only thing that’s missing from Cranston-Lown’s rapidly expanding trophy case?

 

Jessie-May Hall - Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders 
Honourable Mentions: Alex Delaney, Bonnie Deas

What do you say about a 16-year-old, playing in a league full of older professional players, averaging 18.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game?

I applaud firstly, and then I immediately look forward to Jessie-May Hall’s bright future.

Despite her youth she’s already represented Australia twice and is now doing what she does for the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders in the NBL1 East.

The numbers and her game speak for themselves. She’s quick, shifty, not afraid to get into the lane and mix it up. Right hand, left hand, spin moves, there’s plenty there.

The flashes of playmaking have been on display in small glimpses too. Speaking of other aspects of Hall’s game, can we take a moment to appreciate the 7.6 rebounds a game she is pulling down for someone listed at around 5’6”? Impressive.

One thing I would love to see from Hall is an uptick in her three-point percentage. Over six games she has attempted 27 shots from outside and only connected on five of them (18.5 per cent). While it’s clearly not a strong part of her game yet, I look forward to seeing how that progresses. Her form looks good and also… have I mentioned that she is just 16 years old!? There is plenty of time for any improvement.

Right now it looks like she gets the ball and the first thought is to attack the basket, which I love, but having a consistent outside shot will help her game a lot and not to mention, save her some energy (you won’t always be 16 Jessie-May).

 

South Banner

Rowan Mackenzie - Bendigo Braves
Honourable mentions: Jacob Richards, Tom Koppens

NBL1 South is flush with current and former NBL talent across almost all its sides, but the Bendigo Braves are finding ways to win despite having no NBL24 rostered players on their list, and Rowan Mackenzie has helped lead the charge for this new-look side.

With last season’s Braves star Luke Rosendale leaving the club for Ballarat this season, the Braves have placed their faith in a player who is only contesting his first season at the club following three seasons at Texan school Lubbock Christian University and a season with NBL1 West side Lakeside.

He ended his solitary season with the Lightning by being named to the NBL1 West Select Team that took on the Perth Wildcats as part of their NBL24 pre-season.

Through his first seven games of the season – three of which have been wins – Mackenzie is averaging 18.9 points per game at almost 50 per cent from the field.

Mackenzie, through his own admission last year, has come back from his college experience as a more well-rounded, considered player, and his ability to be a damaging offensive presence from all areas of the floor has been on show for the Braves this season.

He does most of his best scoring from inside the paint, however he’s shown an ability to spark from deep when he hit seven of eight threes in a seven-point win over Geelong United.

Mackenzie ended that game with 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

He also finished one assist shy of a maiden NBL1 double-double in the opening game of the season against Ballarat and has shown an ability to stuff almost all aspects of the stat sheet on any given night.

He’s looming as a jack-of-all-trades type guard, who can destroy defences with any one of his high-level attributes.

 

Dallas Loughridge (Dandenong Rangers) and Shaneice Swain (Geelong United) 
Honourable Mentions: Ahlise Hurst, Sherrie Calleia, Lily Scanlon

I really wanted to highlight just one name here but I couldn’t do it, so I’m splitting the difference.

Let’s start with Shaneice Swain.

After being drafted by the LA Sparks a year ago, Swain signed with the Sydney Flames in the WNBL last season to begin a different chapter in her young career. Much to the disappointment of fans wanting to see her play (guilty), and herself I am more than sure, she only managed to play the last few games of the season due to injury.

Fast track to the present day and she’s healthy, playing with Geelong in NBL1 South and doing what we are used to seeing from her. Well, kind of. The shooting percentages and turnovers haven’t been great but she’s improving those areas as of late, including two 30+ point games in the last couple of weeks, shooting 50 per cent or more from the field.

Her numbers currently sit at 22.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.5 SPG and 5.5 TO per game. It’s a mixed bag with the field goal percentage coming in at 34 per cent and the team only winning four out of 10 games, but I am just glad she is back healthy and hooping.

Dallas Loughridge, let’s talk about the sensational season she is having with the Dandenong Rangers.

Now I’ll admit, there’s an injury theme here. Like Swain, Loughridge is also coming back from an injury not long ago, maybe I am just a sucker for young players being healthy and showcasing what they can do. Nonetheless, Dallas was recovering from an ACL injury a couple of years ago and after a limited role with the Southside Flyers last season in the WNBL, she’s come to Dandenong and killed it.

17.8 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.8 SPG - nice. Shooting 55.5 per cent from the field and 45 per cent from the three on a good clip, even nicer.

Add to that her Rangers being 10-3 in the South and Nyadiew Puoch sounding thrilled to have her there, Loughridge has put together a heck of a start to the NBL1 season for her and her team.

 

West Banner

Johny Narkle - Geraldton Buccaneers 
 Honourable mentions: Josh Hunt, George Pearl

Johny Narkle is a talent who is already known to NBL clubs – and that’s evidenced by his time spent trialling with Melbourne United ahead of NBL24, but Geraldton’s trail-blazing guard is only further enhancing his reputation with another electric season for the Buccaneers in NBL1 West this season.

‘Sparkle’ Narkle announced himself on the scene last season. He earned his second straight NBL West Best Sixth Man Award, became the first Indigenous man to be named the Western Australian State League Grand Final MVP, and was named to the NBL1 National Finals All-Star Five.

He also represented the NBL1 West Select team against the Perth Wildcats as part of their pre-season preparation. If the past 12 months are anything to go by, the prodigious talent is primed to step up and try his hand at playing at the next level.

Narkle has stepped into Geraldton’s starting five this season, but his elevation from the bench has done nothing to curb his impact. Through four games he’s averaging 21 points per game at a staggering 58 per cent, and he exploded for a game-winning 32 points in a one-point victory over Mandurah in Round 3.

He’s still only 23 years old, but Narkle’s wrestle in deciding between pursuing football or basketball means he could well only be scratching at the surface of his potential. And, at 6’6” tall, he fits the physical profile of the explosive, athletic, long guard that all coaches crave.

At the time of writing, he’s out of action with an arm injury, but such has been Narkle’s trajectory over the past two seasons, it would be surprising if it slowed him down.

 

 Chloe Forster - Warwick Senators 

 Honourable mentions: Brooke Malone, Jewel Williams, Caitlyn Jones 

At 21 years old, Chloe Forster has already experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows of being an athlete. 

As a Warwick junior climbing the ranks of the club into the NBL1 program was integral to her now star status in the NBL1 West and her role with the Perth Lynx. 

She suffered heartbreak in the 2024 WNBL Grand Final in Perth’s defeat to the Southside Flyers, but has also experienced the joy of conquering the nation as an NBL1 West and National champion in 2022.

After being a key piece in the Senators' past two Finals appearances, Forster launched herself into the women’s basketball scene with a spectacular 25-point performance against the Norwood Flames in the National Finals. 


Off the back of her second season with the Lynx, Forster has risen to star status out West – scoring a career-high 20 points per game, 7.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists for the Senators. 

Currently ranked fifth in points per game and leading Warwick to a 9-2 record, the reigning Youth Player of the Year has set herself up to possibly be the future of West Australian basketball. 

 

Central Banner

Jack Hemphill - Norwood Flames
 Honourable mentions: Jack Stanwix, Isaac Miller-Jose

One of the biggest questions NBL teams ask when recruiting imports is how they will adapt to the NBL, but what if there was an import big who was already in the country, adapting to how the Australian game is played, and who could contribute at the higher level?

That’s exactly what’s happening with Norwood center Jack Hemphill, who spent time in Luxembourg and the Czech Republic between his first season in NBL1 Central and the current campaign with the Flames.

Being 6’10” tall and possessing versatility at the power forward and center positions could make Hemphill an option for teams pursuing a third import, or who need an injury replacement player early into the NBL season.

Hemphill currently sits just outside the top ten scorers in NBL1 Central this season, which is a list that is flush with current and former NBL talent, but the most attractive aspect of his offensive game is his ability to thrive as both a post scorer and a three-point shooter.

He’s shooting almost 40 per cent from three-point range this season, and sits sixth in the competition of players who have taken at least 45 attempts for the season so far, and he’s the most potent offensive weapon on a team that includes fellow young talents Jack Stanwix and Isaac Miller-Jose.

Hemphill is a proven force in NBL1 Central after he averaged a 22-point double-double in his sole season with the Eastern Mavericks, and he has showcased his ability to adapt and thrive in a myriad of environments in his stints in Portugal, Slovakia, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.

Imports who stick around in Australia get called up as injury-replacement players almost every NBL season. With Scott Ninnis’ history of prioritising NBL1 Central and local talent in his build at the Adelaide 36ers, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Hemphill earns his shot at NBL level in the near future.

 

Tayla Brazel - Sturt Sabres

Honourable mentions: Polly Turner, Jordyn Freer, Jess Simons

Tayla Brazel has already been pegged as a Halls Medallist (MVP) favourite this season and is the reigning Best Defensive Player in NBL1 Central - and she’s still only 20 years old.

She was a critical piece to the Sabres’ undefeated regular-season record, before falling short to Ally Wilson and the Norwood Flames in the Grand Final. 

She’s coming off her first full WNBL season with the Adelaide Lightning where she started alongside WNBA Draft pick Isobel Borlase. 

The South Australian pair also competed together in the 2023 U19 FIBA Women’s World Cup, representing the country in July of last year. 

In 2024 she’s currently averaging 15.1 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game for the 7-2 Sabres – where she’s taking on even more responsibility the last season. 

With Borlase destined for the WNBA, Brazel has the chance to become the face of the Lightning, and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility she launches herself into Opals calculations if she continues her fast-tracked progression in NBL1.  

 

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